Spring Lawn Care

What a great time of year!! This is the best time of year to get out in the backyard and help your garden and lawn out of hibernation.

Testing your soil is a good start. Check your soil pH if you don't have correct pH your lawn can miss out on important nutrients. Test with a basic soil pH testing kit. The optimum pH is 6.5 if your pH is higher use sulphate of ammonia to lower it. If it's lower a 50:50 mix of lime and dolomite lime will help raise it.

Aerate your soil to increase the amount of air, water and nutrients it receives. This strengthens grassroots and helps create a healthier lawn. Use aeration sandals or a garden fork to do this yourself before fertilising. Aeration decreases thatch and compaction and should be carried out annually. A garden fork will work well, however, in some cases a lawn contractor with specialist equipment may be required.

Spring is the time to fertilise. A good time to speed up new growth and establish strong roots for the summer and beyond. In our current climate in the Albury Wodonga and surrounds region, after just coming out of winter an early fertilise is good but your soil might still be to low in temperature. Using a liquid fertiliser at this point is better as the grass will absorb it through its leaf for a more instant result. Once the warmer weather really kicks in you can feed your lawn with a granular NPK fertiliser like Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser.

If your lawn is “spongy” this is due to a build-up of thatch. Mow your lawn back to its runners. This may take a couple of mows. Once this is done, fertilise and water it well, to promote speedy regrowth.

It’s also a good time of year to top-dress your lawn if you want to reduce the unevenness. Mow and fertilise your lawn first and then top dress with coarse river sand, remembering not to cover the entire leaf tip. Once you have your lawn growing at its peak, it will be ready to take on the heat of summer.

Watering in spring in the Albury Wodonga region and surrounds is a matter of keeping an eye on the weather and utilise the spring rain and save some water when you can. A minimal approach will often be rewarded with a healthier lawn and with stronger deeper roots.

Spring dead spot is a turf disease that appears as bleached patches in your lawn, ranging in size from a few centimetres to over 1 meter in diameter. The fungal pathogen attacks the roots, stolons and rhizomes of couch grass. It's highly unlikely for other turf varieties like Sir Walter DNA Certified or Kikuyu to suffer spring dead spot.

Symptoms of spring dead spot generally appear in spring, though it can occur in winter. Cool temperatures and additional moisture in your soil will provide the ideal conditions for this disease to spread. The best defence is GOOD DRAINAGE!! And aeration for your lawn.